Seven Different Blue Hens Score, Fossner Tough in the Nets as Delaware Defeats Vermont 14-6 to End Streak

DATE: March 27, 2010

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware broke out of a slump in a big way Saturday afternoon as seven different Blue Hen players scored a goal and Noah Fossner (at right) was brilliant in the nets with 13 saves in a 14-6 UD men's lacrosse victory over Vermont at Delaware Stadium.

Delaware (5-4), which snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the first time since March 6, jumped out to a 4-0 first quarter lead and never trailed as the Hens got three goals from Martin Cahill and two each from Curtis Dickson, Grant Kaleikau, Justin Martinelli (bottom left), and Mark Steverson.

Fossner, who allowed his fewest goals since the season opener, did not allow a goal for the first 17 minutes of the game and finished with 13 saves - his second highest total this season - to lead the Blue Hen defensive effort. Delaware has now defeated the Catamounts 11 times in 12 all-time meetings and downed its former America East conference rival for the fifth straight time.

Vermont (1-7), which lost its third straight game and was coming off an overtime setback to St. Johnís last Saturday, got three goals from Derek Lichtfuss, two from Liam Thomas, and three assists from Geoff Worley but never got closer than three goals after the Hensí first quarter lead.

Lichtfuss, a junior attackman from Lutherville, Md., began his college career at Delaware as a football player but never played lacrosse for the Hens.

Cahill, who has scored a goal in nine straight games and has upped his career point-total to 96, tallied two of his goals in the first quarter to stake the Hens to the 4-0 lead and finished with his seventh hat trick of the season.

Dickson, the national leader in goals scored with 36 and points per game, netted both of his goals in the first quarter and extended his streaks of 18 straight games with a goal and a school-record 49 straight with a point dating back to the 2007 season.

Athlete photoKaleikau also dished out an assist, Dom Sebastiani scored his first goal of the season and dished out two assists, and D.J. Widlake and Chris Hichborn also scored to lead the balanced effort as the Blue Hens posted their highest goal total since the 16-9 win over Albany back on March 6 and their highest win-margin since a season-opening 15-5 triumph over Saint Josephís.

After a scoreless first six minutes, the Hens got on board with a goal by Dickson with 8:39 left and Cahill and Dickson scored just 30 seconds apart three minutes later. A goal by Cahill with 3:04 remaining sent the Hens into the second stanza up 4-0.

Vermont finally got on board with a goal from Thomas 2:22 into the second quarter but Cahill tallied for the Hens just 87 seconds later. After a man-up goal by Vermontís Lichtfuss at the 6:40 mark, the Hens took a 6-2 advantage into the break as Martinelli scored off a feed from Sebastiani with 3:06 left.

Vermont pulled to within three goals when Thomas scored the first goal of the second half just two minutes in to cut the margin to 6-3, but Delaware answered with goals from Kaleikau and Steverson to push the lead to 8-3 and the Hens got tallies from Sebastiani and Hichborn over the final three minutes of the third stanza to extend the margin to 10-4 heading into the final period.

Steverson, Kaleikau, Sebastiani, and Martinelli all scored in the final quarter to keep the Hens in front by a comfortable margin.

Delaware will return to action next Saturday, Apr. 3, when the Hens head to rival Towson University to take on the Tigers in their Colonial Athletic Association opener at 3 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium.